Bisato -- If you want something upscale I cannot say enough about Bisato--it's AMAZING. The chef is a James Beard Award winner and was featured in that recent MODERNIST CUISINE cookbook. (And they specialize in small plates, so despite the gorgeousness of the dishes they're not exorbitantly expensive.)

Seastar -- an award-winning seafood place, which is nice if a little corporate--but definitely appropriate for a family gathering.

Matt's in the Market and Chez Shea -- both are excellent, and both are in Pike Place; they do very Pacific Northwest cuisine. Chez Shea is a little more white tablecloth.

There are also a slew of little "artisanal food" places (Sitka & Spruce, Emmer & Rye, Lark, etc) but I tend to find their food a little lazy, as if 'local' means they can get away with cutting other corners. They're very "Seattle" though, so you might enjoy?

Other advice: avoid the sushi here. Seattle does not do sushi well, which is surprising, given its proximity to the coast and decent Japanese population. Ditto anything with Tom Douglas's name on it; he's got a pile of restaurants in Seattle but they're all overrated. (There's one or two decent places, but neither are worth writing home about. Stick to CA. And Tom Douglas's Dahlia Lounge is decent, but the rest are just overly greasy concept-restaurants. (Which I guess some people like?) )

One last one! Michael Mina just opened RN74 this summer. I like the place he had in SF more, but this one is still impressive--interesting and artistic dishes.

November 18

2:30pm -- Tom Bihn store: "Our Seattle Factory Showroom/Retail Store is open every Wednesday from 10:00am - 4:00pm. We will also be open on the following Saturdays: November 26th, December 10th, and December 17th from 12:00pm - 5:00pm. Won't be able to make it to our store during our open hours? We'd be glad to open just for you by appointment. Email (customerservice@tombihn.com) or call us (1-206-652-4123) to make your appointment. Address: 4750A Ohio Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98134"